Elysium Hotel 5* Resort Paphos, Cyprus – Hotel Review

So I thought I was ready to say goodbye to bare leg weather, but it turns out, I’m a proper sunshine girl. I’m a proper sun-chaser and the glow of fresh morning sunlight on my skin has to be one of the best feelings out there. So when Jet2Holidays got in contact to whisk me away on one of their Jet2 flights to Paphos for a few days of sun, mezze, and wine… I really couldn’t say no could I. We headed to the airport for our Manchester flight with Jet2, and check in was a breeze. With a thorough itinerary set up by Visit Cyprus and copious amounts of morning coffee to prepare me for the flight, I was so ready to get on board and see Cyprus with Jet2Holidays.

The accommodation booked for the trip was the absolutely stun-ning Elysium Hotel & Resort. Jet2Holidays offer the Elysium as a five star deluxe hotel with a world-class Spa. I was all over that, huns. Their tagline is ‘A SANCTUARY FOR THE BODY AND SOUL’ – which is something I can 100% get on board with on a relaxing holiday in the Med. .

JET2HOLIDAYS INDULGENT ESCAPES

Looking for a holiday package with a difference? The Elysium Hotel is one of many 5 star and luxury accommodation options within the Jet2Holidays Indulgent Escapes package. All hotels that Jet2Holiday offer in the package are minimum 4.5 stars on TripAdvisor and a Jet2 customer satisfaction score of 96%.

Included in all of Jet2Holiday’s Indulgent Escapes:

Priority lane pass – Beat the queues at the airport

Complimentary in-flight drinks – Two drinks free

Extra baggage allowance – Bring 25kg onboard

Transfers included – No-worry transfers covered by Jet2

LOCATION

Situated in the heart of Paphos, Elysium Hotel is the perfect base for those wanting to get out there and explore what Cyprus has to offer. I always find that having a welcoming, comfortable place to call home whilst your travelling is so important. Even if you spend most of your time exploring rather than lounging by the pool (like myself usually) it feels *so* good to come back to a slice of luxury.

Paphos itself has a lot of rich history to offer, including the famous Paphos mosaics which are mostly fully intact Greco-Roman floor mosaics. The resort also sits right next to the Tomb of the Kings, so even if you’re more of a poolside pleasure-seeker you can pop next door to lap up some culture and history.

Elysium Hotel is a 20 minute drive from Paphos International Airport, so the transfer is reasonably short once you land.

THE HOTEL

As soon as I arrived at Elysium Hotel, it gave me all the ~ wow factor ~ I expected from a 5 star hotel. The foyer is beautifully marbles, with pillars (obvz), and the large lobby is the perfect place to relax on a sofa after a long day of travelling whilst waiting for your room. As soon as we checked in the concierge took our bags to be brought up later and we were given refreshing, warm towels. Oh, and they were scented with rose essence: omg. You are given the option to have a hotel tour if needs be, but it just didn’t fit in with our schedule. The new plan was to wake up extra early, catch the sunrise, and explore. Alarm set for 6am!

Exploring the Elysium Hotel in the early morning was pure bliss. You can’t watch the sunrise directly if you have a sea view, but the sky glows a ruby red and it’s definitely one way to start your day if you like an early rise. The hotel is pretty quiet in the early morning, so you can really take advantage of the grounds with a brisk morning stroll. The hotel has another pool to the back right of the main circular pool, and even a garden that wraps around the back end of the hotel leading to tennis courts. Meaning you can start on one side of the hotel and walk around it in a circular bath and end up back where you started (you wont get lost, promise!)

On the left of the pool, you’ll find the world-class Elysium spa. I was 10/10 tempted to treat myself to a spa treatment (always a massage for me) but I just didn’t have the time to fit one in on our hectic schedule. Treatments include: Detoxifying Full Body Treatment (94 euro) and a Salt and Oil scrub (63 euro).

The Elysium pool is by far the most impressive that I’ve ever seen. It really does look as good irl as it does on the gram, if you know what I mean? It’s beautifully lit up in the evening, and it really does glow. But boyyyyy does it look amazing in the morning. If you can, try and get up to watch the sunrise and get a glimpse of that ruby sky over the pool before heading down for breakfast.

If you take a stroll past the pool area, you’ll find ample sun loungers and even the entrance to Elysium’s very own private beach. I only discovered this area on the final day of our stay and it was pretty much quiet all morning. However, found myself closing my eyes and imagining it filled with the hubbub of tourists and suddenly the area came to life.

THE ROOM

The Elysium Hotel is split into two “sides” with the main hotel reception and foyer area located in the centre. On the left side of the hotel, the exterior rooms have a sea view, sea and pool view, or pool view. On the right side of the hotel (the one I stayed in) the exterior rooms have a sea and pool view. This was all a little confusing when our press group was split into two groups to stay in the two different sides of the hotels. The different sides us different lifts, stairs, etc – So make sure you use the right ones for your room number!

As this is a 5 star resort, my luggage was stowed to be brought to my room as I was escorted up to the third floor. The hotel receptionist kindly showed me how everything in my room worked. Including the balcony doors, lighting system, and the secrets of the room like the hidden desk vanity. To sum up, my instant reaction was “oh my god”. The room was beautiful, spotless, and was exactly what I would expect from a five star hotel. Not to mention the marble detailing in the bathroom, oh wow guys.

Everything you need for a comfortable stay is clearly catered for at Elysium. The wardrobe space is ample, the beds are generously sided, and the bathroom was simply stunning. I also nabbed a room with breath-taking views of the pool area and the sea.

HOTEL RESTAURANT

We did actually dine in at Elysium Hotel on one evening, which was a dash of rest bite after the hustle and bustle of a busy day of exploring. Located on the Ground floor, Ristorante Bacco restaurant serves up delish plates of traditional Italian cuisine. Although the mezze in Cyprus is beyond amazing, sometimes switching your cuisine up can add a twist to your trip.

To start, I decided upon the Scallops, which were very well cooked and the crumb was delish. Followed it up with the duck two-ways, again very succulent and not dry in the slightest. By far, my favourite was dessert (as usual hehe) and the Tiramisu really hit the spot for a little sweetness before bed.

Other restaurants available at Elysium Hotel:

Epicurean Restaurant – International Buffet

O’Shin Restaurant – Pan-Asian

Mediterraneo Restaurant – Cypriot & Greek

Astria Bar – Cocktails

BREAKFAST

One thing I genuinely looked forward to everyday, apart from my plush bed which is the obvious, was the breakfast at Elysium Hotel. By far, it was one of the best hotel breakfasts I’ve experienced. I’m the type of gal that can really get involved when it comes to brekkie, no matter how early it is. Luckily, even if you have an early and/or long day planned, you can get your Elysium buffet breakfast in until ……

Seating is done as you please, and you can choose between sitting inside the restaurant or out in the Terrace. We did have to sit inside every morning as it was a tad nippy at 7/8am in November – if it were slightly on the warmer side I would have dined on the terrace to enjoy the morning sun before adventuring in the surrounding areas.

Upon seating, you are asked for your hot beverage of choice which was representative of the great service at the Elysium. I went for coffee every morning and I would highly suggest asking for it very hot if you like to take your time as the filter coffees are prepared in advance and can cool really quickly. By the time you get back to your seat, you’ll have your hot drink ready and waiting.

As this breakfast is a classic buffet style, the options are endless. Go full English, continental, Greek/Cypriot, or perhaps fruit, museli & yoghurt take your fancy?. There’s also a juice bar where you can refuel on freshly squeezed juices and ice cold water. I must say, the waffles won me over here, guys. I may have had them two out of three days in a row…

HOTEL SERVICE

One thing that I 100% *need* to tell you guys about is the Elysium Hotel – Pillow Menu – Yup, you heard me. The Elysium is so invested in your night’s sleep that they offer a menu of pillows that cater to everyone’s needs. So whether you like it ultra firm or prefer a lavender-scented option, they certainly have something for everyone.

The Pillow Menu is pretty simple, just dial reception quote “pillow menu” and ask for what you like. I called up and asked for a lavender-scented Aroma Pillow and the housekeeping team asked if I wanted just one. Before I could say anything, they told me the service was free and that they’d send two up for my comfort and to use them as I needed. Fab, fab, fab.

Jet2 offer flights to Cyprus leaving many UK airports, including Manchester Airport all year long. So they’re ready to accommodate you on board with their impressive 22kg luggage allowance whenever you fancy treating yourself to a relaxing Mediterranean break with a flight to Cyprus. Plus, if you’re looking for a package holiday you can book the Elysium Hotel and your Jet2Holidays flights to Paphos as an Indulgent Escape. Saving you all the hassle of planning, queuing at the check in, carrying your bags around on your final day, and more.